


Undefined

by TheonSugden



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Alcohol Mentions, Angst, Gen, Mentions of Sexual Harassment, Semi-requited Love, mentions of groping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-23
Updated: 2015-08-23
Packaged: 2018-04-16 20:58:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,035
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4639992
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheonSugden/pseuds/TheonSugden
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the disaster, Adam tells Aaron how he feels about him...whatever that may mean.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Undefined

“Strip for me, mate.”

Aaron’s eyes widened through the haze of the beer he wasn’t supposed to be drinking, even as he knew what Adam was really interested in.

“Gotta thing for sexy scars?” he teased, slowly rolling up his shirt sleeve to let Adam see the fresh bandage on his left arm.

“Oooh…bet that was a deep gash,” Adam said, puffing out his lips and whistling.

Aaron’s smirk was soon wiped away by Victoria slamming their plates down.

“If you say what I  _know_  you were about to say, that lasagna’s goin’ on your head.”

Aaron was still tempted to say it, but he knew she meant business.

“I love me wife. Feisty lass,” Adam growled, hooking his arm around Vic’s waist and kissing her hand.

Aaron forced a grin, pushing down his pathetic, fleeting jealousies. 

“Kinda like her too,” Aaron replied, not kissing her hand, but giving her a genuine smile to ease her red, puffy eyes.

“Ever tell ya about how when I came back last year, Val groped me bits? Said, ‘I just wanted to see if you’re still a gayer.’ She’d had half a bottle o’red…”

Adam spat out his beer, pointing at Aaron.

“She grabbed me cock  _and_  me arse night I married Vic…said she needed to make sure I was still in ‘proper working order.’ Guess she liked me better.”

Aaron huffed.

“Grabbed me arse too…I was tryin’ to be discreet.”

They looked up at Vic, who wasn’t laughing.

“I’m  _so_  glad your happiest memory of Val is sexual harassment. I think I’ll do the dishes. Go get a head start.”

Aaron knew that wasn’t why she wanted to be alone. He’d heard her crying off and on for hours. But he knew whatever he said, he’d probably make it worse. 

Instead he took another sip, watched Adam wipe the sauce off his stubble.

“Guess we asked for it…scrap yard. Sure got scrapped today. Flippin’ miracle it didn’t scrap me with it.” 

Aaron flashed to panicked Robert, clutching Vic, and swigged away the memory as quickly as he could.

“I’m sorry, mate. I know how much that place meant to you.”

Adam shrugged through bleary eyes.

“Not sure how much it meant to you.”

Aaron wasn’t too sure himself. Fortunately Adam wasn’t in the mood to pick at open wounds tonight.

“We tried, y’know? Back to the farm for me…yippee…”

Aaron shook his head.

“Might get some insurance…could start over…”

Adam laughed. 

“Probably try to pin it on us, Aaron, with our luck. Hey, maybe they’ll give us enough to go to Ibiza. Hot wife in a bikini for me…hot fellas in Speedos for you…am I right?”

Aaron turned up his nose.

“Hate Speedos.”

Adam laughed louder that time, banging the table, even though Aaron hadn’t said anything funny.

“So you’re really gonna tell me you don’t wanna see me in a Speedo?”

This was the part where Aaron was supposed to say Adam was fat or ugly, but he was too drunk to force the banter.

Instead he just stared at the label on his beer.

“Aaron…”

“Adam, I don’t…”

Adam took his hand, glancing to make sure Vic couldn’t see them.

“I’m proper pissed and it’s the only way I’m gonna be able to say it, so just let me, alright?”

Aaron nodded, trying not to look Adam in the eye.

“I know how ya feel about me…”

Aaron swallowed hard.

“Right now I feel like deckin’ ya.”

Adam ignored him, the way he usually did.

“And I know you ain’t pinin’ away for me, and I’m glad. But I still know it’s there…”

Aaron felt tears in the backs of his eyes, doing his best to blame it on the drink, not on what Adam was saying.

“Usedta say you was like my brother…maybe you still are, but I got ‘proper’ brothers now, and I love the lads…but they ain’t you. So it’s not about you bein’ me brother.  What I’m sayin’ is…”

“Don’t.”

“What I’m sayin’ is it’s not all you, Aaron. Both know it’s never gonna happen, both know you’re better off without me messin’ up your life even more’n I already do, but don’t let anybody ever tell ya your’re some saddo pinin’ for a straight man. I…”

Aaron wanted to beg him to shut up, but he couldn’t get the words out.

“I love ya, Aaron…not as a mate or as a brother, but cos o’you. And I just want you to remember that if…if we ain’t so lucky next time somethin’ falls outta the sky.”

Aaron really was crying then, and he hated himself for it. He was afraid to whisper a word in response, deal with all his old and new feelings.

Adam kneeled down next to him, pulling him into a hug. Aaron let himself give into the basic comfort.

It was easier now…after Jackson, after Robert, because he could touch Adam and not need it to mean as much. Not hate himself as much when he was alone again.

But today…today was hard. 

He was saved by a ringing mobile, hot in Victoria’s hand.

“Moira,” she said, handing Adam the phone before he went into another room, one last reassuring smile at Aaron before he left.

Aaron cleared his throat, wondering how much she’d heard, not wanting to ask.

“Sorry for what I said about Val…”

Victoria shook her head.

“S’fine,” she assured him. “And what Adam said to you…that’s fine too.”

Aaron wanted to run through a window.

“Nothin’ I didn’t already know…haven’t known for years. You and Adam…you’re soulmates. Sometimes he forgets, but I don’t.”

Aaron couldn’t reply, either from admiration or shame.

“I’m dead glad he loves you, Aaron. I just hope you can find somebody else who can be…be everythin’ to ya.”

Aaron didn’t want to tell her that he already had, and it had ground him into the dust.

“Settle for a nice sarnie,” he grinned.

“I think I can mange that. Oh, and Aaron?”

“Yeah?”

“I love ya an’all.”

She kissed his cheek, and that time, he didn’t bother to hide the blush.


End file.
